对外语学习的要求

中学阶段修过外语（如法语，西班牙语或日语等）是否对报考名校有帮助？名校对考生在中学课程中的外语科目有什么要求？各个学校对此定义不大一样，例如有的学校对学外语的时间有最低要求（minimum），但这个最低要求是否足够？初中阶段学过的外语课程也算数吗？如果某名校要求有四年外语学习经历，该语种的AP考试高分可否满足此要求？ 事实上“常春藤盟校”和美国其它名校对于外语科目的学习时间都有明确的规定，考生在报考选择学校时，应该事先做详细了解。 一般来说，“常春藤盟校”和美国其它名校都要求考生在中学阶段至少学过两年外语课程。例如哈佛大学强烈要求（Urge）申请人有四年外语学习经历；斯坦福大学则期待三年以上。这里的外语课程和学习年数是指同一语种；各个学校期望看到考生对一种外语的精通（Proficiency）程度，而不是对几种语言的泛泛掌握。这些一定要在报考时弄明白，尤其是对自己所选专业的外语要求搞清楚，以免因为这个因素而被拒，自己还不知其中原因。 如果一所名校建议申请人有两年以上的外语学习经历，实际上这是在明确表示两年以上外语学习经历会增强申请人的成功机会。考生的申请表中和中学成绩单上如果列明有两年以上外语学习的高分，对任何名校的录取都会有加分效应。道理在于，在过去的十年和未来的岁月中，无论是就读名校还是毕业后的发展，都面临着日益增涨的全球化浪潮，因此名校的录取官员对于考生的外语能力是十分看重的。特别是外语科目的AP课程成绩能获得四分或五分，大部分名校都会将此认作是中学阶段外语学习上具优势的证据。如果考生在外语学习方面只能达到最低要求，但在其它方面有明显优势，仍然能够获得录取；也有些排名较低的学校对外语没有要求。下面附上几所名校对外语方面要求的具体说明： 哈佛大学： “You should leave secondary school knowing at least one foreign language well enough to read it easily and pronounce it acceptably. Knowing a foreign language enables you to enter another culture and to understand its ideas and its values. A fundamental aspect of language-learning must be a grasp of vocabulary and syntax that allows you to read novels, plays, poems, and magazines, with as much of a native speaker’s comprehension as possible. We have found that students who have mastered a foreign language before they come to Harvard take more language courses here than those who have not. Indeed, these students often embark on the study of languages not commonly taught in American secondary schools. Many secondary school students take a smattering of several languages – for example, Latin for two years, French for a year, and Spanish for a year. When it is too late, they realize that they cannot read or speak any of these languages well. We urge you to try to study at least one foreign language and its literature for four years, Continuity of study is important, too, because a “year off” from a language can be a real setback. Once you are comfortable fluent, you will possess that language – and better appreciate the culture it has shaped – for the rest of your life.” 麻省理工： “Two years of a foreign language.” 斯坦福大学： “Three or more years of the same foreign language .Your study of a foreign language ought to include the development of four basic skills: reading， writing， speaking， and listening comprehension.” 加州大学洛杉矶分校： “2 years required， 3 years recommended – Two years of the same language other than English. Courses should emphasize speaking， reading and understanding and include instruction in grammar， vocabulary， reading， and composition.” 威廉姆斯学院： “A challenging and well-balanced program of study ideally should include: a full four-year sequence in English and mathematics； study of one foreign language for three or， preferably， four years.”